Improvement in washing-machines



.upon each end cf said slats.

dni-tied States @anni dtjljlte.

BALAAM GHAFFIN LAWSON, OFFYOLO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

Letters Patent-No..11o,47s,daaa Daember 27,1870.

IMPROVE/MENT IN WASHING-MACHINES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part oi the same.

To all to -whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, BALAABLGHAFFIN Lawson, of the county of .Yolo and State of California, have invented a new and useful vWashing-Machinefor washing clothes and other fabrics of linen, cotton, wool, or other fabrics; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing making a partof this speciiication, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view, and

Figure 2 is longitudinal section.

The said machine consists of the following parts,`to wit:

First. Of a tub or box, the sides A A beingparallel', the top edges of said sides beingstraight, the bottoni the arc of a circle, corresponding very nearly to that described by the swing or vibration of the dasheror plunger G', as seen in the drawing, and hereinafter described. The said sides extend beyond one of the ends B B of the tub, for the purpose of holdingr the lever-axle IWI.

Second. The ends B B form right angles with the sides AA, and-incline inward from bottom to top suficientlyto accomplish the result hereinafter specified.

Third. The bottom of said tub ismade of galvanized sheet-iron, and secured by nails or otherwise. n

Fourth. At each end, and on the inside thereof, is placed and secured a wash-board or rack, C O, of the full width of said tub. Said wash-board or rack is composed of slats reaching from the bottom 'to near the top of said ends B B, with spaces between said slats of half the width of the face of said slats, orthereabout, or at such distance apart as willeffect the result hereinafter named. The said slats are held in position by the caps or pieces D D, placed and securd Said caps D D, being all of same width, and resting their outward edges against the ends B B of tub, give the same angle to wash-board as that of the ends B B. rlhe edges inwardof the caps D D are on a line with the face orv inside edge of the slats composing wash-board or rack, and, said caps bein gwider than the. slats, leave a space between said slats or wash-board and the ends B B of the tub, for th purpose hereinafter described.

Fifth. O n each-side of said tub, and on the inside thereof, and at both ends, are affixed the beveled boards E E, said boards heilig of equal length of slats coniposin,.,f T wash-boards, and placed with the thick edges against said wash-boards and the thin .edges toward center of' tub, as seen in drawing, said boards to be of a thickness, width, and slope to eiect theircsult hereinafter narned.

Sixth. On each side, and on the outside of said tub,

are attached two u prghts, F F, for the purpose of swinging the dasher G.

Seventh. The dasher or'plunger Gr is composed of a number of pieces or feet, I, 2, 3, 85e., made of boards au inch thick, more or less, with shanks of suficient length to be secured or fastened above the surface of the waterin the tub. The said pieces or feet 1, 2, 3, &c., are held in position by placing pieces of boards of aboutthe same thickness of the said feet of. flasher, and of tbe same width with the shauks'of said feet, and length to correspond with. thewidth ofpieces I I', between the upper ends of the Shanks of said feet, and securing the saine by the pieces I I, which said pieces I I are drawn together by bolts and screws. The said dasher G is swung by the shanks'J J ofthe two outside feet (made of sufficient length for that pur-pose) upon an iron rod, H, which said rod passes through lsaid shanks near the top, and through and near the top of the nprights FF.

Eighth. rIhe said dasher is operated bythe lever K, being connected therewith by the pitman L. Ihe said lever K is also connected with the axle M, which said axle is placed in the buttons N N, secured to inside ends of said extended sides before mentioned'. 0n

the top of said lever K is placed a cast-iron ball, to

give force to the stroke of the dasher.

Ninth. Said machine is set on four legs, withupper ends leaning inward at top atA saine anglev of ends of tub.

rlenth. The construction and operatidn ofthe machine, the parts of which have been described, are as follows, to wit:

'The tub is an oblong of suiicient capacity to give lproper play to' the dasher and contain as man y'clothes or other fabrics as may be successfully handled, say six sheets, or-equivalcnt, more or less. lhe clothes are put into the tub, in equal parcels, in each end, or on each side of the dasher, with water sufcient to nearly cover the parcels to be washed after the saine have been wet and pressed together ina roll reaching across the'full width of the tub.

lVhen the machine is operated, the parcels of fabric or clothes are driven, iirst one and then the other,

4against the washboards or racks placed respectivel through the wash-board/or rac-k, into the space'let't for thatpurpose between said wash-boards on the outer ends of said tub. The water is thereby pre-l vented from being thrown over the top ot' the tub.

The water, by the-operation of' the said dasher G, is driven rapidly through the fabric, successfully and rapidly removing the particles of dirt.

At every stroke of the dashcr the fabric or parcel in the'tnb makes one-fourth 'of a revolution, being effected by they combination of the circular bottom, the inward inclination from bottom Fo top of the washhoard, the beveled boards upon the sides, and the returning weight of the water thrown or forced by the stroke of the dasher into the space between the washboard and the end of the tub, the water at the termination of the stroke in said space being much above the connnon level of the water in the tub.

When the parcel of fabric is forced against the wash-board by the stroke of' the da'sher said parcel is flattened and stands on edge, and, by the combination hereinbei'ore stated, falls forward, with the edge toward the dasher-t-h'e best possible position to receive the next stroke.

The purpose of the beveled boards E E is to make the side ofthe parcel of the clothes, when driven against. the wash-board, shortest next the wash-board, so that, in falling forward, the parcel is relieved from pressure against the sides of' the tub.

Clothes turned in the manner described do 'not pack or twist together as they do when turned gradually or by degrees. y

The edges of the feet 1, 2, 3, Snc., of the dasher G slope back from bottom to top, to correspond with the face of wash-board or rack.

I do not claim as my invent-ion any part of said machine except those hereinafter ei'uuneratcd,^to wit:

What l claim as my invention,and desire `to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of. the circular bottom, the dasher .G, the inclining wash-boards or racks C 0, and the converging sides or beveled boards. E E, in combination with axle M, pitman L, and weighted lever K, as constructed and shown,'as the same is set fort-h inthe foregoing speciiications. i

BALAAM OHAFFIN LAWSON.

Witnesses:

EDWIN R. BUSH, E. G. HALL. 

